MSNBC To Change Branding On Nov 14

MSNBC, the long-standing progressive cable news network, is indeed set to undergo a significant rebrand to MS NOW (standing for My Source for News, Opinion, and the World) on November 14, 2025. 

This change marks a pivotal shift as the network separates from its parent company, NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast), and integrates into a new entity called Versant. The rebrand is designed to emphasize real-time, on-demand journalism and independence from NBC News' operations, while retaining MSNBC's core focus on in-depth analysis, political commentary, and progressive perspectives.

The announcement was first made on August 18, 2025, via internal memos from MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler and Versant executives, with the full rollout tied to Comcast's broader strategy to spin off its cable networks amid declining linear TV viewership.

Background and Reasons for the Change

✔Corporate Spinoff: Comcast is divesting several cable assets—including MSNBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, E!, USA Network, Oxygen, and SportsEngine—into Versant, a new publicly traded company (tentatively dubbed "CableCo Holdings" in SEC filings). This tax-free distribution to shareholders is expected to value Versant at around $8 billion, per Barclays estimates. 

✔Dropping NBC Ties: The rebrand severs MSNBC's historical connection to NBC, including the iconic Peacock logo (which NBCUniversal is retaining exclusively). MSNBC launched in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft (hence the "MS"), but Microsoft exited years ago. The name change accelerates MSNBC's independence, requiring it to build its own newsgathering team—recent hires include NBC News veterans like Ken Dilanian and Brandy Zadrozny.

✔Strategic Goals: Executives describe it as a "bold evolution" toward immediacy and accessibility. Kutler emphasized in memos that the network's "commitment to our work and audiences will not waiver," but it will now compete more directly with NBC News. A major national marketing campaign is planned to promote the shift.